USAG Benelux Spotlight: Erica Nowells

[Editor’s Note: In this series, we are shining a light on our workforce in and around the Benelux. This Spotlight is on Erica Nowells, Army Prepositioned Stock-2 (APS-2) Eygelshoven site manager for U.S. Army Garrison Benelux, who has found fulfillment in helping people inside and outside of work with her cooking skills.]

EYGELSHOVEN, Netherlands – As a child, Erica Nowells found herself tagging along occasionally with her father to observe what he did for a living. His military occupation specialty took him around as a veterinary food inspection specialist, checking for food safety and quality assurance guarantees to maintain standards for Soldiers.

“He enjoyed what he was doing. And everything that he did, he was helping others and providing a service,” said Nowells. “I’ve always been that type of a person who helps others—even when I was little.”

In her youth, she volunteered at food shelters and frequently helped at school to set up and tear down equipment for events. After watching a popular talk show at home with her mother, Nowells remembers saying to her that she wanted to grow up to help people.

Starting off in the U.S. Army, she enlisted as a culinary specialist—preparing and serving food to Soldiers at installation dining facilities. Eventually Nowells moved to food service technician (warrant officer) and began managing and supervising all aspects of the Army’s food service program at her duty station.

Nowells attributes her initial cooking interest and skills to her grandmother and her father who both taught her at home. Those skills were further enhanced in the U.S. Army after attending culinary schools and competitions over a 22-year career.

As a young Soldier, she prided herself in thinking outside the box when it came to culinary delights. Her Reese’s peanut butter cake became so popular at the dining facility that the manager ensured that the recipe made it onto the Army Food Management Information System for wider distribution.

In 2009, she sought approval to bring a military division team to compete in a culinary arts competition, an exception to policy, as teams were usually made up of top culinary specialists by installation. She trained up her team and they brought back one gold, three silvers, and six bronze medals.

Off-duty, Nowells started weekly Sunday Family dinners at her home in Georgia, USA, inviting not only relatives but also close friends. Cooking and serving food to nearly 25 people was not difficult, she said, adding that she really enjoyed the weekly gatherings.

Nowells continues helping people in her current job with the garrison as she trouble-shoots issues with aging infrastructure, pursues upgrades, and establishes a safer, improved work environment for employees at the APS-2 site.

“I just like being a fixer,” she said, though her heart still remains with her previous work. “I really wanted to be in the food service world [and] I still do. I want to get back there.”

Read past Spotlight articles from the USAG Benelux:

USAG Benelux Spotlight: Dan O’Riley

USAG Benelux Spotlight: Nicolaas de Jager

USAG Benelux Spotlight: Cody Butler

USAG Benelux Spotlight: Danny Janssen

USAG Benelux Spotlight: Sgt. Taylor Smith

USAG Benelux Spotlight: Roel Laugs

USAG Benelux Spotlight: Chris Bridges

USAG Benelux Spotlight: David Pavey

USAG Benelux Spotlight: Benoit Versieux

USAG Benelux Spotlight: Staff Sgt. Nicholas Cravens

USAG Benelux Spotlight: Mark Fricke